


Protests and Mobs

by orphan_account



Series: Strive To Be Alive [5]
Category: Les Misérables (2012), Les Misérables - All Media Types, Les Misérables - Schönberg/Boublil
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Eponine is a tornado, F/M, Joly is worried, M/M, Oooh a protest, Terminal Illnesses, again when isnt he, fun stuff, gavroche is sassy, if that squees you, mild violence, r is a bamf, r is a strong independent woman who don't need no man, when isnt he
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-23
Updated: 2014-02-23
Packaged: 2018-01-13 12:39:47
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,498
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1226668
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>R is at a protest with the Les Amis  de L'ABC. Predictably, it goes wrong.<br/>*<br/>Can be read as a standalone.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Protests and Mobs

**Author's Note:**

> WOOPWOOP IM BACK BITCHES
> 
> Ps trigger warnings for mild violence

We're at a protest. The crowds are rallying around Enjolras, who is blazing in the midday sun, and he's beautiful. When isn't he. He’s screaming a speech I cannot hear, and he’s being borne away by the crowds farther and farther away from me. 

 

In these last few protests, he'd kept me behind him, making my heart thud painfully hard in my chest _he was just so close!_ and when the going got rough, as it always did, he'd shove me with Joly in the minivan, with him fussing over me and my imaginary wounds. I’d try to escape, saying I'm not _made of fucking glass._ , I'm not a delicate flower he needs to protect, I've been looking after myself for a long time. I can handle a fistfight. 

 

Enjolras had been adamant, though. This time, it seems, he's forgotten about me, thank whatever deity there is, I love him, but his mothering, was, quite frankly disturbing, and I've wanted a good fight for ages. Enjolras doesn't need to protect me. By my side, Bahorel grins savagely and says, “Good to have you back, mon ami.” I grin back, and Eponine shifts by my other side, holding Gavroche back from the thick of the people. 

 

It's been a while since that night in Enjolras’ flat, him flat out drunk and me wary, and the words that he spoke, I cannot bear to mention, and I'm still ever scared that it is the truth, or he was lying. In my typical fashion, I ran the opposite direction from this, missing one meeting and drinking until I was passed out. I was planning to avoid the second one too, but Eponine came to drag me out by the scruff of my neck. (“Ow! ’Ponine, you are a devil among women!” “And you, R, are a pathetic drama queen.”) since then, Enjolras has always kept a watchful eye on me. I've caught his eye on me in meetings, and when I catch his eye, he turns away flustered. If he didn't know about the Heart Thing, I'd say he was infatuated with me. But that's impossible, he is Apollo incarnate, how can he fall for a lowly Dionysus? 

 

I put it out of my mind, and drunk, smoked and was stupid with the best of them. In short, I was just as normal as I ever was.

 

The crowd stirs violently, and police pour into the square. Bahorel cracks his knuckles, Eponine tries to hold a struggling Gavroche back. I shift so I am shielding said Gavroche from the fighting and I connect eyes with Eponine, she nods gratefully. 

 

The police are in full riot gear, and the crowd changes, becoming something unstoppable in its anger. Even from this distance, I can see Enjolras’ mouth twist in to a snarl, the light playing beautifully with his blonde hair, and then he is gone sucked into the thick of the fighting. I swear viciously and Eponine kicks the back of my leg. I shoot her a wounded look.

 

“Not in front of Gavroche!” She growls.

 

“I've heard worse from you when you drop your keys ’Ponine.” He pipes up, still trying to weasel around mine and ’Ponine’s legs, but we hold firm.

 

“Shut _up_ Gav!” ’Ponine replies, and I chuckle. 

 

In front of us, Combeferre is fighting a police officer, trying to protect and elderly man whose clutching at his cane, fear morphing his features. Bahorel moves to help, but as soon as I can blink, the police’s shield hits the side of Combeferre’s glasses, breaking them, and then striking him on the temple and he goes down, and doesn't get up. 

 

Bahorel moves to beat up the policeman, but Eponine gets there first. What the policeman doesn't expect, after kicking Combeferre in the ribs again, the fucker, is a tornado of a five foot nothing girl being unleashed upon him. She shrieks “You.” She breaks each word with a punch. “Touch.” Punch to the stomach. “Him.” Kick to the back of the knees. “Again.” Elbow to the ribs. “And I.” The policeman is in full retreat, trying to desperately get away, and ’Ponine follows him, and me, Bahorel and Gav cheer her on. She doesn't need any help. “Will _end_ you.” He runs, and Eponine goes to Combeferre’s side, shaking him and slapping his cheek gently. I run to help, dragging Gavroche with me, and Bahorel throws himself into the thick of the fighting. 

 

Combeferre’s eyes open blearily, I hook one of his arms over my shoulder while Eponine does the same on the other side. We push through the people fighting with police around us, catching glimpses of Courfeyrac, Jehan and Bahorel. Once we reach the minivan, Joly takes over, fussing around him. 

 

“What happened?” Joly says worriedly, covering cotton wool with medical alcohol, the strong spirit making me itch for a bottle.

 

“A fucking policeman got him. Kicked him when he was down too, the cowardly shit.” Eponine growls, and I nudge her playfully.

 

“That fucker didn’t get off lightly,” I tell Joly, who is still busying himself around Combeferre, who is still looking rather dreamy. “’Ponine showed him how girls fight.” Joly half-smiles, and Eponine swells slightly with pride.

 

“Well.” She puffs out a breath. “Couldn't let him get away with it now could I?”

 

“Of course not.” Says Joly, and I nod in agreement. I don't like Eponine fighting, she's so small she could get squished, but she can take care of herself. Joly cuts Combeferre’s shirt open.

 

“W’at’s goinon?” Combeferre opens his eyes fully, and they’re crossed slightly. Eponine is by his side instantly, smoothing hair out of his eyes. I smirk at her, and she blushes. I hope Gavroche likes Combeferre, because I have a feeling he’s going to be seeing Combeferre around a lot. Speaking of Gavroche, where is he?

 

“A concussion, certainly.” Joly diagnoses him easily, and begins to wrap Combeferre’s ribs.

 

I look around. Gavroche isn't beside me anymore. The little bugger must've sneaked off when me and ’Ponine were getting Combeferre to Joly. “Fucking shit.” I feel my face pale slightly. What if Gavroche gets hurt? What if he gets killed?

 

Drawn by my voice, Eponine looks up. “What is it?” She's still almost hunched protectively around Combeferre. “I can't see Gavroche.” I answer, jumping on the balls of my feet. 

 

“Shit.” She swears and makes a move to get up, but Combeferre grabs her hand. She looks helplessly down at him. 

 

“You stay here,” I tell her. “I’ll find the little bugger and bring him back here.” 

 

“Thanks,” Eponine breathes, her voice full of relief. 

 

I start off into the crowd, dodging and ducking to avoid flailing legs and fists. “Gavroche!” I yell, “Gavroche!” He doesn't reply, and my worry grows by tenfold. The noise from all the other people roars around me, and I feel lost.

 

A thump on the ground next to me. I spook sideways and look in the direction of the thump. There, about ten metres away, is Courfeyrac, mouth snarled in savage glee, which Gavroche nipping around the officer’s legs, aiming dirty blows to the officer. 

 

Courfeyrac is hit squarely on the jaw, and he goes down. I can't see Jehan, although Courf often hangs around him to protect him. Then, ever reckless, Gavroche jumps in to shield Courf from the blows of the policeman. The man punches Gavroche, and something primal in me stirs.

 

I launch myself at the policeman, tackling him to the ground. I shoot an uppercut to his stomach, and one to his face. I feel my knuckles split and the officer’s nose breaks with a sickening crunch. Spitting out clots of blood and swears, he retreats. 

 

I turn and Gavroche is up, none of the worse for wear, thank whatever non-existent deity there is. I kneel beside Courf, he sits up groggily and pushes me away.

 

“’m fine, ’m fine.” He grumbles, and even so I shove him in the direction of Joly. He stumbles off. I glare at Gav, who looks back innocently. “We,” I growl, “are going to have a conversation when we get out of this.”

 

Gav waves a hand airily, as if we weren't still in the midst of a fighting mob and says, “Nothing bad happened, R, so don't worry your pretty little head about it.”

 

“Nothing bad?! Nothi-” I clamp down on my temper. He smirks and moves aside for a couple rolling on the floor, throwing powerful punches at one another.“Well, if that's the stance you'll be taking Gavroche Thenardier, then you wouldn't mind if you sister joins in.” At the mention of Eponine, Gavroche pales considerably. “I thought so.” 

 

Then everything happens at once. Gavroche opens his mouth to speak, and I see Enjolras rushing towards me shoving people aside, shouting “Watch out, R!” I barely have time to react, to turn, and then a riot shield slams into my face and the ground rushes towards me, and everything is black.

 

***

**Author's Note:**

> Oooooohhh cliffhanger am I evil, or am I evil?
> 
> Unbetaed all mistakes belong to moi


End file.
